There are days during the summer when I don’t bake that much because it’s simply too hot. On those days, I usually make ice cream and spend the day browsing other blogs for inspiration. And by the time the weather has cooled down enough to turn my oven on, I’m bursting with new ideas. Here are a handful of summery treats to get you going this week.
- Tender, flavorful tres leches cakes are always a treat and the Banana Coconut Tres Leches Cake from Baked Ambrosia sounds like a delightful variation on the classic. The cake is made with bananas and coconut sugar, and is topped with a mixture of sweetened condensed milk, regular milk and coconut milk for the tres leches soak. The cake is served with a toasted coconut whipped cream and caramelized bananas.
- The honeycomb pan that SweetReciPeas used for this Honey Lime Cake makes it look absolutely amazing, but I can assure you that the cake will taste just as good if its made in a less flashy pan. The cake uses a combination of sugar and honey for a balanced sweetness that still lets the honey come through. Fresh key lime juice and zest contrast well with the rich honey, making the flavors pop and tempting you to go in for another bite. Both honey and lime juice are featured in the glaze, as well.
- Longtime readers know that I’m always on the lookout for s’mores desserts and Blissful Basil‘s S’mores Bars are definitely tempting to look at. These bars also happen to be both vegan and gluten free, making them suitable for those with dietary restrictions that might prevent them from having traditional s’mores. Oat flour cookie dough sandwiches a layer of dark chocolate and vegan mini marshmallows for the perfect s’mores ratio. Serve these at room temperature or warm them up for a melty marshmallow effect.
- I enjoy making jelly rolls – or swiss rolls, as they’re also known – and they’re easier to put together than you might think. Let’s Eat Cake has a tutorial on how to make Swiss Roll Cake with Strawberries and Cream that will give you some good tips for putting together a summery dessert. The cake is loaded with fresh strawberries and lightly sweetened cream, delivering strawberry shortcake flavors in an unexpected form. Try a variation with other summer berries after you’ve mastered this one!
- Recipe Throwback: These Mini Pineapple Lime Upside Down Cakes are one of my favorite summer party desserts. They’re easy to make, absolutely delicious to eat and fun to dress up with decorations that you would usually reserve for tropical cocktails. The caramelized pineapple is rich and flavorful, and there is just enough citrus to contrast with the pineapple and make it pop even more.
What do you think?